Friday, September 19, 2008

frustrated faerie fashionista, part 1

“Fall bridges that which has come before with that which will come after, the mythic and the ordinary, art and fashion.” — Elisa Jimenez

Sometime earlier this year I became frustrated with a lot of the clothing I was seeing in big stores and that glitzy urban Atlanta-fashion scene that still seems to dominate the underbelly. And so I looked to nature and the seasons for inspiration...though, clearly I'm not the first by any means.Elisa Jimenez's fall 2008 collection, for example (and a lot of her Hungerworld project), continues to interest me and feel "present" - many of these pieces I would personally wear in daily life and not feel out of place!Of course, hand-sewing on a model is pretty impractical for creating a mass-market clothing line. But I have been, and am still impressed by, her shapes, approach, and connection to the natural world.

The summer blew through and I saw a lot of turquoise, green, orange and yellow, along with patterns of indigenous cultures. A great way to brighten/intensify emotions during a tumultuous time, but not so helpful for blending in a forest or in water.

I would like to hear from designers who create for the fickle Faerie Folk that are not as well known as Elisa, who is most famous for being a contestant on "Project Runway" Season 4. I'll post some of my findings here in metro Atlanta, for the Fall, including a shoot with model Jerleni. Elisa also has just shown her Spring 2009 collection, "Urban Nomad," which should be exciting.